Interview with Austin Aries as conducted by Peter Krimbalis on behalf of the UWA

Credit: UWA Hardcore Wrestling

1. First of all, congratulations on successfully winning what many fans (myself included) feel is the most prestigious championship belt in all of professional wrestling, and arguably more importantly, from one of wrestling's most respected champions, Samoa Joe. Keeping that in mind and after seeing Samoa defend the belt so honorably and memorably, how does it feel to be the athlete who finally succeeded where so many others had previously failed and how did you prepare yourself, both mentally and physically, to take on such a daunting task?

-- Obviously it feels great to be "the man". Joe had an incredible run as ROH World Champion, really raising the prestige and bringing the ROH Title to the forefront. Nobody will be able to duplicate what he did. I'm just going to go out and be myself and defend this belt against all comers. As long as I keep myself in top condition and fight off injuries I have all the confidence that I will have just as successful of a run with this belt as my predecessor did.

2. Your aggressive wrestling style fits like a glove with the Ring of Honor (ROH) mission statement of "we don't imitatate we innovate". In fact, having seen you wrestle live, you perhaps personify this mindset, attitude and style more so than any other wrestler. When you were training under Eddie Sharkey and Terry Fox back in Minneapolis, what were some of the most influential moments, challenges and opponents that helped you develop your devastating, champion producing style?

-- Well, being a smaller competitor in a sport that seems to think bigger means better has a lot to do with my aggressive style. From day one I was in there with bigger guys who thought I'd be easy pickings because of my size. After I hit them with a few stiff kicks and forearms they knew I was no joke. Sure I took my share of ass kicking's but every time they thought I was done I would pick myself up off the canvas and keep coming for more. The bottom line is you can look at a guy and see he's only 5'9" and 175lbs, but you can't measure his heart. Being a championship wrestler is about heart and I'll measure mine against anybody's in this business today.

3. On March 18th, 2005, at St. John's Hall in Mississauga, Ontario, you are slated to defend the ROH Championship in Canada against none other than Josh Prohibition, who is a well-respected champion and seasoned mat wrestler in his own right and in recent times has literally taken the UWA by storm. The fans of UWA are chomping at the bit in anticipation of what will undoubtedly be one of the most exhilarating matches in UWA history. What are your thoughts, preparations and battle plans for your title defenses and more specifically, your match against Josh Prohibition?

-- I'm looking forward to traveling to Ontario to defend my title. I haven't really seen much of Josh Prohibition’s recent ring work. That been said I'll study some of his recent work and formulate my game plan. As far as preparations and battle plans, I think I'll keep those things to myself, as I don't want to give too much away to my challengers. But just remember, "to be the man, you have to beat the man", I don't have to beat you.

4. Finally, each and every ROH champion has brought to the belt their own sense of pride and prestige in the ring, the cumulative effect of which has created the unprecedented phenomenon that is the ROH Championship. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that you are in fact a worthy champion. What do you, Austin Aries, as the bearer of the belt that is synonymous with unsurpassed quality, athleticism and honor, feel will be able bring to the table and contribute to the already unblemished pedigree of the champions before you? In other words, how will you keep this highly coveted belt as strong as it already is?

-- I bring those very things you say are synonymous with the ROH World Title - unsurpassed quality, athleticism, and honor. I want this belt to truly live up to its World Title status by defending it all over the world. And every time I defend this belt I lay it all on the line and leave nothing behind.


To keep updated on where the ROH World Title will be defended next you can go to AustinAries.com.